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Alberta surface water quality guidelines : a working compendium

Description

This document provides a summary of the numeric and descriptive water quality values applied in Alberta. It is intended to be used as a screening tool for the evaluation of water quality... More ≫

Description

This document provides a summary of the numeric and descriptive water quality values applied in Alberta. It is intended to be used as a screening tool for the evaluation of water quality monitoring date and for setting approvals limits for effluent discharges. If during the review of monitoring data guidelines are not exceeded, problems are unlikely. On the other hand, if the guidelines are exceeded, a detailed assessment might be required to determine the extent of and/or the possible sources of the exceedance and the potential adverse effects arising from the exceedance.

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Alberta water quality guideline for the protection of freshwater aquatic life : dissolved oxygen

Description

This guideline identifies the dissolved oxygen levels that are necessary to protect aquatic life in Alberta. The Government of Alberta, industries and municipalities will use the guideline to... More ≫

Description

This guideline identifies the dissolved oxygen levels that are necessary to protect aquatic life in Alberta. The Government of Alberta, industries and municipalities will use the guideline to assess the potential for impacts of oxygen-consuming discharges from industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants. The public can use the guideline as a reference when assessing the environmental health of their water.

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Alberta water quality guideline for the protection of freshwater aquatic life : copper

Description

This document contains the relevant toxicological information and other literature used to develop a water quality guideline that protects freshwater aquatic life against copper toxicity. Its... More ≫

Description

This document contains the relevant toxicological information and other literature used to develop a water quality guideline that protects freshwater aquatic life against copper toxicity. Its derivation follows the Protocol to Develop Alberta Water Quality Guidelines for Protection of Freshwater Aquatic Life (Alberta Environmental Protection 1996). Copper is an essential compound for plants and animals in small quantities. However, copper becomes toxic when biological requirements are exceeded. Copper is widely distributed in environmental media because it is a naturally occurring element. Compared to natural emissions, emissions of copper from human activities are substantial. Most copper released from human activities comes from disposal of coal ash residue and spreading of municipal and industrial wastes on land.

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